By Aderogba George

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) on Friday reaffirmed the Federal Governments commitment to get every eligible Nigerian vaccinated against COVID-19.

Mr Bawa Abba, National Supervisor for Adamawa COVID-19 Vaccination, NPHCDA, spoke in Yola, Adamawa, on the sideline of a three-day Media Dialogue On Routine Immunisation, Post Polio Certification and COVID-19 Vaccination.

The meeting was organised by The Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in collaboration with the UNICEF.

According to Abba, while the FG is putting efforts to make COVID-19 vaccines available and ensure that Nigerians get vaccinated, no fewer than two million Nigerians have so far been vaccinated accross states and the Federal Capital Territory with the Astrazeneca vaccine.

He, however, noted that the official server of the NPHCDA may put the figure at 1,051, 096, as at Thursday April 15, 2021 but that the current number of eligible vaccinated persons with the facility have crossed two million.

We have two sources of data. We have the call in-data which is data that we received at the facility level.

We have the one in the NPHCDA server. We are working on uploading the remaining data from the facility levels.

These are raw data from the field that has not been processed. The difference is currently being processed, he said.

He further disclosed that states that have covered 50 per cent of their populations have been directed to halt vaccination (stop) at the moment.

This is to ensure vaccine availability for those who are required to take the second dose of the Astrazeneca vaccine, also adding that, government was currently giving priority to intending pilgrims, he said.

According to him, without receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, an intending pilgrim will not be allowed to go for pilgrimage.

And if you are given a brand of vaccine that we dont have in Nigeria, it might really be a problem when you come to Nigeria.

Abba also noted that whenever the Johnson

By Funmilola Gboteku

Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development (AIED), an NGO, on Friday urged the Federal Government to amicably resolve the dispute between the major players in the sugar industry, irrespective of the strong positions of parties involved.

Mr Seun John, AIED Director of Publicity, gave the charge in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

NAN reports that Dangote Sugar Plc, supported by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, accused BUA International Limited of skirting the backward integration policy of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) by setting up a sugar refinery in Port Harcourt.

The NGO noted that the media space has been awash with bickering reports between major players in the sugar industry, laced with accusations of monopoly, sharp practices and insincerity among the big industry players.

The AIED official said that the conflict required the urgent attention of the federal government for amicable resolution in the interest of Nigerians and in preserving the gains of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan (NSMP).

The NGO noted that the NSMP remained a flagship programme that had helped transform the near-dead sugar industry into a production powerhouse and set the importation dependant sector into a considerable employer of labour and national pride.

The federal government must provide the needed leadership to preserve the gains of this noble programme which has thrown to the dustbin of history the locust years of mere local processing of sugar at 30,000 metric tons.

The government can do this by ensuring that all industry players adhere strictly to the guidelines of the Backward Integration Programme (BIP) and most importantly, the sincerity of purpose, he said.

John said that only a holistic approach to resolving the issues raised by parties concerned could truly bring about the needed change, and such an approach must consider some areas.

He explained that MDAs in charge of national policy monitoring must ensure and verify compliance with the BIP and NSMP among industry players as against the current system of self-reporting system adopted by the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).

The director said there must be correlation between establishing sugar refinery and cultivating sugar cane as it concerns the quota regulation of the BIP.

He noted that while refineries were essential, it does not help the value chain system the NSMP was supposed to promote, and as such, application of BIP into such endeavour endangers the holistic approach to self-sufficiency in the sugar industry.

The importance of the issues raised above can not be underestimated as it forms the basis of the rancour brewing in the industry.

He noted that allowing companies to self-report simply suggests that importers should self-report on the number of goods they brought into the country without proper confirmation and checks by officers of the Nigerian Customs.

We hope for the benefit of millions of Nigerians who now rely on the effective NSMP; the federal government will rise to save the day, John said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Pakistan on Friday blocked social media platforms amid fears that activists of a radical Islamist group might use the technology to stoke violent protests against last years depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in France.

Followers of far-right Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a group that supports the countrys controversial blasphemy laws, have blocked roads and chocked streets at deadly protests that started on Monday.

The protesters were demanding that the government fulfill an earlier promise to expel the French ambassador by April 20, over the publication of a cartoon depicting the prophet last year.

At least five people including two police officers have been killed in the protests, which have prompted the France embassy in Islamabad to urge French nationals to leave Pakistan temporarily.

Social media has been blocked for a few hours so that troublemakers cannot use it during Friday prayers congregations, an official told dpa.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and TikTok areinaccessible across the country, including the capital Islamabad.

Political parties, Islamist groups and militant organisations like Pakistani Taliban heavily rely on social media platforms to connect with their followers. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Felicia Imohimi

The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) has urged the Federal Government to institutionalise annual disease surveillance in order to curtail the spread of Avian influenza, also known as Bird Flu.

Dr Bala Muhammad, Chairman, FCT Chapter of the association, said this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja in view of the outbreak of avian influenza in parts of the country.

Muhammad suggested that such annual surveillance should be an avenue for the government to advice farmers to step up bio-security and other containment exercises to avoid losses.

The chairman, who identified avian influenza as a time bomb waiting to explode, said it was highly pathogenic and infectious disease of poultry with potential of public health consequences.

The organisms have enormous capability to infect birds and can mutate to affect humans, he said.

Muhammad, who further described bird flu as a zoonotic disease, emphasised that both government, farmers and other stakeholders should do everything humanly possible to eradicate it.

According to him, such concerted efforts will not only stem the huge economic losses but will as well avoid mutation and spread to man.

Muhammad decried that the outbreaks had become frequent simply because all stakeholders had lowered their guards.

The fragile poultry industry needs to be protected to guarantee its growth and contribution to the economy, he said.

The chairman noted that the only way to nip the outbreak in the bud was by active disease search, decontamination of affected farms, compensation of loses to encourage transparency and information sharing.

The moment there is an outbreak, we should not wait until the entire country is engulfed in the crisis.

We should try as much as possible to do some kind of ring assessment and activate the containment plan.

I appeal to government to call stakeholders meeting for review of the national containment plan, and the no vaccination policy.

Information is power, awareness campaigns on issues around outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza will save the day.

Farmers are strongly advised to reinforce bio-security and other containment practices to avoid outbreaks and further transmission to man.

A stitch in time saves nine. Stakeholders must work with government officials to evolve an economically viable plan in stamping out avian influenza in Nigeria.

The industry needs to be protected to guarantee its growth and contribution to the economy.

Many have been gainfully employed by the sub-sector and it contributes greatly to the countrys GDP, he said.

The chairman appealed to government to encourage farmers to report any flu-like signs in their flock, birds and by taking compensation of affected farmers seriously.

Similarly, Mr Godwin Abonyi, the immediate past President of NVMA called on government to undertake massive intervention in the area of veterinary services.

According to him, through such efforts we will be able to curtail resurgence of Avian influenza.

Governments interventions should be massive because it is dangerous to have a flu that is zoonotic ravage the country in the face of COVID-19, he said.

NAN reports that as at March 24, seven states have been affected by the bird flu according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

The states affected by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) (H5N1) in poultry are Kano, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Oluwatope Lawanson

National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, has denied distributing bags of rice in some states in the northern part of the country.

Tinubu stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and signed by his Media Aide, Mr Tunde Rahman, in Lagos.

NAN reports that a viral video of images depicting the face of the APC leader on bags of rice was recently being circulated on some social media platforms.

We have seen the images being circulated of bags of rice depicting Asiwajus face being distributed across parts of the North, Tinubu said.

The former governor of Lagos said he was not responsible for this initiative.

He, however, commended the efforts of the various groups for their benevolence.

I am not responsible for this initiative but l commend the efforts of the various volunteer groups responsible for this benign act of charity and love for one another, particularly in this Holy month of Ramadan. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Folasade Akpan

The 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) generated N1.31 trillion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in 2020 compared to N1.33 trillion recorded in 2019, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says.

NBS made this known on Friday in Abuja in its Internally Generated Revenue At State Level for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2020 published on its website.

According to the report, itindicates a negative growth of -1.93 per cent year on year.

It added that the Q4 2020 states and FCT IGR figure was N335.25 billion compared to N338.57 billion recorded in Q3 2020. This indicates a negative growth of -0.98 per cent quarter on quarter.

The NBS said thatLagos state recorded the highest IGR of N418.99 billion, closely followed by Rivers with N117.19 billion and the FCT with N92.05 billion.

Delta state recorded N59.732 billion, Kaduna N50.768 billion, Ogun N50.749 billion, Oyo N38.042 billion, Kano N31.819 billion, Akwa Ibom N30.696 billion, Anambra N28.009 billion, Edo N27.184 billion, Ondo N24.848 billion and Enugu N23.650 billion.

Others are Osun N19.668 billion, Kwara N19.604 billion, Plateau N19.122 billion, Zamfara N18.499 billion, Kogi N17.357 billion, Imo N17.081 billion, Cross River N16.183 billion, Abia N14.376 billion, Kebbi N13.778 billion and Ebonyi N13.591 billion.

Meanwhile Yobe recorded the least IGR of N7.779 billion, followed by Taraba N8.114 billion and Adamawa N8.329 billion, Gombe N8.537 billion, Jigawa N8.667 billion, Ekiti N8.716 billion.

Benue state recorded N10.463 billion, Niger N10.524 billion, Katsina N11.399 billion, Borno N11.578 billion, Sokoto N11.796 billion, Bayelsa N12.180 billion, Nasarrawa N12.476 billion, Bauchi N12.502 billion.

The NBS said that in compiling the report, states IGR data was computed by the NBS and the Joint Tax Board (JTB) from official records and submissions by the 36 State Boards of Internal Revenue.

The submissions are then validated and authenticated by the JTB which is chaired by the Federal Inland Revenue Service and has the NBS and the 36 State Boards of Internal Revenue as members. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Monday Ijeh

Mr Onyemuche Nnamani, the Commissioner Representing South East in the Police Service Commission (PSC) has called on youths in the region to take advantage of the police recruitment slated to commence soon.

Nnamani made the call while addressing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Chairman of PSC, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, on Wednesday said recruitment into the Nigeria Police would soon commence.

Smith said the exercise would begin after the issues relating to the recruitment were resolved in the interest of both the commission and the Nigeria Police.

Nnamani, also a former Secretary to the Enugu State Government, said the move to commence recruitment into the Nigeria Police by the commission was a welcome development.

According to him, that will be the beginning of a deliberate move to stop marginalisation of the zone in the hierarchy of the force.

He commended the PSC chairman for making a case for the revival of the Police Detective College, Enugu.

Nnamani said the revival of the college would bring the institution to life and return the Nigeria Police to intelligence based policing.

He expressed dissatisfaction over the current state of the college, adding that the facility had become a haven for rodents because of decay following long period of abandonment.

It could be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 approved the recruitment of 10,000 youths into the Nigeria Police to address the inadequate manpower needs in the force. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Mogbede

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is now re-energised and recommitted to executing the partys lofty developmental objectives after his medical trip abroad.

Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary of the partys Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja while welcoming the president back to the country.

He said the party was highly elated at the return of President Buhari.

Mr president is undoubtedly re-energised and recommitted to executing the lofty developmental objectives of the APC-led administration, he said.

He prayed for Buharis continued good health and wisdom to pilot the nations affairs and to achieve the APC-led government Next Level agenda to uplift Nigerians. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

The immunization agency said that as of April 15, 2021, just 1,051.096 shots had been administered in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), representing 52.2 percent

The COVISHIELD, a brand of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, is used in over 71 countries, including the UK, Canada, India and Brazil.

Due to limited vaccine availability, the Federal government had directed the states to halt vaccination once they used half of the doses allocated to them, because

Source: NAN News

By Grace Alegba

The Lagos State government said it would upgrade 56 roads and reconstruct drains, street lightings, Massey Children Hospital as part of the ongoing Action Area Plan to reconstruct/upgrade roads and other infrastructure in the state.

Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, the Special Adviser to the governor on Works and Infrastructure, said this at a stakeholders meeting on reconstruction/upgrading of Adeniji Adele road, Oke Polo/Tata streets on Lagos Island.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

Adeyoye said the infrastructure renewal/upgrade in the state began about 20 months ago, but that the Lagos Island Area North Action Plan, to upgrade infrastructure and tame flooding on the axis, started six months ago.

The programme that we have cuts across board, so it is not as if we are focused on one local government or one senatorial district.

It is my joy and privilege to announce to you that this is the time for Lagos Island; this is the time for Lagos Central, she said.

She said the reconstruction/upgrade of the 2.2km Adeniji Adele road and the 1.069km Tapa street were part of strategic roads being considered first because they provided access to the new Massey Children Hospital under construction.

We will try to regenerate this place, so that is why it is called the Lagos Area North Action Plan, and we will start with the roads, the hospitals and then the others.

The plans that we have for Lagos Island roads are grandiose but they start in one day, no government can finish it all; we will take it in steps and in layers, she said.

She said 17 roads, constructed about 17 years ago on the axis, all failed because the residents made drainage outfalls refuse disposal points, thereby compounding flooding and quick road degeneration.

Adeyoye said the degradation caused a lot of hardship for road users, hence the re-hiring of Julius Berger, who constructed the initial network of roads to handle the project.

She appealed to residents to stop blocking drains and canals to change the narrative of heavy flooding and bad roads on the Lagos Island.

She said most of the bad roads on Lagos Island were drainage-induced problems, adding that good roads needed free drains.

This project is ours and we must take ownership of it from the beginning, she said.

Adeyoye promised to ensure minimal demolition of houses on the Right of Way of the reconstruction/upgrading of Adeniji Adele road and Oke Polo/Tata streets project alignment.

She said interlocking stones with upgraded thickness would be used for the projects to ensure durability.

Giving a brief of the project, Mr Tokunbo Ajanaku, Project Director, Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, said the network of roads was part of governments efforts to sustain the greatness of Lagos Island.

He explained the interconnectivity of Adeniji Adele road and Oke Polo/Tata streets to other roads on the axis.

Mr Rotimi Thomas, Permanent Secretary, Office of Infrastructure, said the three roads were strategic to the economic growth of the area.

Thomas said the project would create jobs, solve perennial flooding and gridlock on the axis and improve connectivity.

Mr Gbenga Osunlana, an official of Julius Berger, contractors to the project, promised that the firm would deliver a project that will be able to stand the test of time. (NAN)

Source: NAN News